Motion Picture Daily (Oct-Dec 1955)

8 Motion Picture Daily Monday, November 14, 1955 Allied's EDC Foreign Films in U. S. Business Poll (Continued from page 1) circuit telephone hookup in which the information will be exchanged. Allied leaders look upon the expanded EDC as a step to give Allied a stronger united front, members said. It will tie all the units of the organization together for smoother operation, they added. Congressmen to Hear Plea Meanwhile, small town exhibitors are preparing to contact their Congressmen, the same Congressmen who were contacted in COMPO's Federal tax repeal campaign, to acquaint them with the rentals situation. The contacting is expected to start during the Christmas holidays. They will be told of certain pictures which, die small exhibitors say, are not available because of excessive terms. Mrs. Griffith (Continued from page 1) soon by Howard Anderson of Mullins, S. C, vice-president of the association. Anderson is acting in the capacity of president. C. A. Dandelake has resigned. Mrs. Price now is employed by a Charlotte film exchange and is expected to assume her new duties in three weeks. Mrs. Griffith has been ill for some time. She will continue to serve in an advisory capacity. She has been with the organization since 1928. ( Continued to pay more attention to the Production Code and to take various other steps if they want a larger share of the American film market, it was stated. The other steps suggested included larger promotional campaigns, good dubbing, increased use of American stars, employment of American producers and directors to work with European producers and directors, wider publicity during production, more production in new film techniques comparable to CinemaScope and VistaVision and use of U. S. film cutters. From Nine Foreign Nations The American industry spokesmen gave their suggestions to officials representing film producing associations of nine major foreign film producing countries. The meeting was a followup on the meeting earlier this week of the administrative council of the I.F.F.P.A. Renato Gualino, president of the Federation, told reporters that the discussion had been "very straightforward, with no rows." He said "all concerned agreed that never was there a more favorable moment for selling foreign films in the U. S. If we can come forth with the proper pictures." Gualino said this was true because of the serious product shortage here, the increasing fashionableness of all BURT LANCASTER Puts the Indelible Mark of Greatness on from page 1 ) foreign product, and the desire of American tourists returning from abroad to see films made in the countries they visited. In view of the product shortage, he said, exhibitors and distributors would be "delighted" to find good foreign films to distribute and show. Want More Playing Time The foreign producers generally felt they should and could get more U. S. playing time, but expressed "no particular complaints," Gualino said. He added that all agreed that if foreign film producers wanted to sell to the large theatre circuits and other major U. S. markets, they would have to undertake promotional campaigns equal to those the American companies undertake for their own products. Gualino said the meeting had invited Wolfson, Mayer and Amall to be present to supplement the views of Johnston and other MPAA officials, and that the foreign producers felt they had been given "particularly valuable advice." On the subject of the Production Code, Gualino said that the American spokesmen said that foreign producers should bear in mind the fact that the American public is used to films made under the Production Code and that it would be wise for the foreign companies to produce films that could obtain Code Seals. He added that in contrast to previous similar meetings, where the Code came under heavy attack from foreign producers, there was comparatively little complaint this time. "We European producers are becoming used to the Code," Gualino said. "We are not so jittery about it any more. We may have some different ideas on how it should be used but we also realize that it is often a protection against government censorship." Gualino said the foreign delegates had welcomed the suggestions about using more American personnel and changing stories occasionally to conform to American tastes, but had expressed some doubt as to how far they could go "in giving an American flavor to European pictures." ' To Push Plans for Acapulco Festival MEXICO CITY, Nov. 13. The proposition of holding an annnual film fair at Acapulco now has a new and vigorous sponsor, Mario Zacarias, president of Produciones Zacarias, just back from Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he represented Mexico at the film festival. He seeks Mexican Government official aid for the Acapulco show, and wants the government to arrange a world film treaty which he hopes will solve such problems as censorship and funds freezing. 'Sands' to Palace United Artists' "Desert Sands" will open at the RKO Palace Theatre here on Nov. 18. (Continued from page 1) stimulus expected from the Audienc Awards Poll this month, and its aftermath; with the usual year-end holida\ spurt and the release of more and stronger pictures, an upturn soon i inevitable. ABPT president Leonard Goldenson contended that "if you don't have, the pictures," it's impossible to do the business. He said the decline, which ABPT has experienced since September, is not a question of anything but having the pictures. To prove his point, he cited the grosses currently being chalked up by "To Hell and Back." Not Much Change, Says Shea At the same time, a dissenting nott on the business situation came from Gerald Shea, head of the Shea Circuit, which operates 42 theatres mainly in Ohio and northern Pennsylvania. Shea reported business in September just about the same as last] year, while October business wad better than last year. Expressing an opposing point of view, a spokesman for Associated Prudential Theatres said that attendance and business is down because of the lack of pictures. He, along with such circuit executives as Loew's Theatres vice-presidents Eugene Picker and John Murphy, pointed to the competitive factor of television in the fall season, when TV returns to the air, figuratively speaking, withj its top programs. Picker, stating that he felt that the I industry should offer a competitive; line-up of strong product for the f all i season, also pointed to "the stronger"!! newspaper advertising campaign now being utilized by TV. Murphy Seconds Goldenson Murphy joined with Goldenson in : saying that from Christmas on, the ' product line-up looks better. Goldenson, head of the company which also includes American Broadcasting Co. and its television facilities, was asked whether he agreed with the contention that the return of the big TV shows and larger TV advertising is responsible for the current dip. He replied that the factor of TV is "relatively small" compared to the lack of pictures. Harry Brandt, head of the Brandt Circuit, contended that distribution leaders are shortsighted in not releasing product on a balanced scale. TV, he added, is going in for bigger advertising of its shows than "we are doing with pictures." $2,000,000 Domestic Gross for 'Crockett' Walt Disney's "Davy Crockett" is expected to attain a domestic gross of close to $2,000,000, according to Al Margolies, director of advertising and publicity for Buena Vista Film Distribution Co., who also reported that Disney's studio personnel is currently working on theatrical and television product which will be completed and released by 1959.